What I've Been Reading

When I read, I read lots of books in a short period of time and then I won't for a bit and then the wave hits me again. I really love reading. I got Yanni to love reading too. He wasn't a big fan of reading. I was shocked, who doesn't like to read? We've been together for over 13 years and I was like...I don't even know you anymore...ha!

I have always loved reading. I also enjoy writing stories. When I was younger I loved Christopher Pike and R.L Stine books. I could get lost in them for hours. My mom would bring us to the bookstore and each of us could pick out a book and I could go straight to the mystery section to find the latest one.

I knew if I just got Yanni to read a little bit he would be hooked. I started Yanni's journey into reading by asking him to read Gene Wilder's "Kiss me like a Stranger". We had just finished watching a few of Gene's movies, such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Silver Streak, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil. I knew he would enjoy it because it was so funny and very endearing, and I was right. He loved it and he has been hooked ever since. Now he is reading Billy Crystal's "Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?" I love hearing him laugh out loud while he is reading the book. I know he is enjoying it as much as I did. The both of us will look forward to returning to our books and to see what the next chapter has in store for us. And we both enjoy biographies. I just finished a round of them, so for Christmas we bought each other more books. It's so wonderful sharing this little healthy hobby with him. During breakfast we will tell each other about the chapter we just finished, so it's always like I am reading two books at once, mine and his.

Yanni and I have a little weekly tradition. Instead of looking forward to just the weekend, we look forward to our weekday date night. Our date night usually consists of a trip to the bookstore. It's one of my favorite things to do and I look forward to it all week, even more than Friday. In my Taekwondo class my Master asks us what our favorite day of the week is. I know he wants us to say "every day", he wants to instill in us that every day is a gift.  And he is right it is, but most people will say Friday or Saturday is their favorite day of the week. They turn and look when I say "Tuesday" is my favorite day of the week.

I get a hazelnut hot chocolate and we walk the aisles finding new biographies and other books I would enjoy reading.

Most recently, Amazon published their top 100 editor's picks and I made a huge list of books I want to read.

And most recently, I finished reading these four books, and they are all very different from each other:

Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?, written by Billy Crystal. Gosh. What can I say to give him and the book he wrote the justice it deserves. He is beyond one of the most funniest people I have ever seen. I adore him and his book made me adore him even more. He shares with his readers his background, growing up with his brothers and mother, and sadly losing his father, his love of baseball, how he became a comedian, and an actor. He shared with us how he met his wife and about his daughter.

He is so funny and so smart. I was in complete awe of how witty he is. Trust me when I say you will relate to his book. I am 30-something year old woman, and he is a 60-something year old man, and yet I related to him in so many ways. That's what makes him such a wonderful comedian, is how relatable he is and how he conveys emotions in his stories that everyone can relate to. He draws you in. I highly recommend this sweet and funny book.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, written by Nujood Ali. First, wow. What a brave little girl. Her story is inspiring. Nujood Ali was just a child, like any other child who goes to school, plays with her toys and her brothers and sisters, when her father arranged for her to be married to a much older man. Nujood tells us her story, not many people have a story to tell like this at the age of 10, her forced marriage and the abuse she experiences in the hands of her husband and his family.

We get to witness her amazing courage of escape and ultimately divorce. While, this seems so hard to believe, unfortunately, it is a very common practice in many countries. Nujood lives in Yemen and the fact that she defied her family and her cultures custom and fought for what she believed in was incredibly inspiring. She was only 10, but wise beyond her years, strong, and courageous.

My Story, written by Elizabeth Smart.  In 2002, Elizabeth, like Nujood, was only a child, she was 14 years old when she was kidnapped in the middle of the night while she slept and held captive by his sick and horrible man and his wife. Her story is also very courageous. For such a young lady, she was wise beyond her years and a lot of that had to do with her strong faith and family. Faith and hope plays an important part in her book, it was keeps her going even when enduring things that no one, especially not a child, should ever experience.

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife, written by Eben Alexander. This book came out a little bit ago, but I just finally was able to read it. I have always been interested in reading about near death experiences, my favorite being Embraced by the Light, and this one intrigued me because of Dr. Eben's profession, a Neurosurgeon. He was not a believer of near death experiences or the afterlife, but after his own near death experience he has completely changed his views and life. If near death experiences interest you, I highly recommend checking this book out.

What are you reading? I would love to hear some recommendations.